You might have to do a double-take every so often while watching Django, Prepare A Coffin! Or Preparati la bara!, a 1968 Italian spaghetti western starring well-known action-comedy legend, Terrence Hill. It's a spin-off of the 1966 Django film that became popular with Italian movie star Franco Nero in the lead role.
Why the double-take? Because you might be convinced that Hill is none other than razor-jawed, dreamy-eyed action hero, Franco Nero.
The close-ups is where the doppelganger effect comes into play, but when the frustrum gives way to a full view of Hill's more lanky form -- especially when he isn't wearing the black overcoat -- you can readily see the difference between him and the more brutish Nero.
The size difference does kind of vitiate the luster of Hill's performance as Django, but not by too much.
Where Nero was more stoic and resolute in both the profile and portrait shots, with a sturdy gait that made him seem both charming and menacing all at the same time, Terrence Hill only manages the menace in the close-ups, and when wearing the large black overcoat in the distant shots.
Even then he has a propensity to let his glowing smile shine through the glower, infrequently, which can also give Django more of a personable appeal in this film compared to the tortured-soul effect that Nero had going for him in the original.
Now some people prefer this film to the 1966 outing, but I can't say for certain that this is better. It certainly has more layers going for it than the original due to the various characters having their own motivations, and that makes it a lot more unpredictable. The characters aren't just 2D cardboard cutouts, and that gives them a much more grounded flavor than what you might be expecting from a western.
There are occasional shootouts to sate the action-hungry viewer, but they aren't particularly as memorable as the ones from the original Django, which might disappoint some viewers.
Also, while Hill can some impressive displays of fisticuffs, his stringy physique doesn't quite make him as imposing as Nero, and in turn he comes across as a much more vulnerable Django than Nero's turn as the character.
However, where the acting counts Terrence Hill actually delivers. He does a very fine job of imitating Nero to the best of his abilities, and that alone definitely deserves a huge hat tip. It's not often someone is able to embody the role made famous by someone else and then turn in a performance that very closely resembles the original, while still managing to add their own spin on it (and managing a verisimilitude without the performance being satirical or farcical).
It's a hard balancing act to pull off, but I think Hill did a wonderful job with what he had to work with. It's a steep departure from his physical-comedy work that he became renown for with Bud Spencer, but well worth the watch for those who enjoyed the original Django that starred the devilishly handsome Franco Nero.
Why the double-take? Because you might be convinced that Hill is none other than razor-jawed, dreamy-eyed action hero, Franco Nero.
The close-ups is where the doppelganger effect comes into play, but when the frustrum gives way to a full view of Hill's more lanky form -- especially when he isn't wearing the black overcoat -- you can readily see the difference between him and the more brutish Nero.
The size difference does kind of vitiate the luster of Hill's performance as Django, but not by too much.
Where Nero was more stoic and resolute in both the profile and portrait shots, with a sturdy gait that made him seem both charming and menacing all at the same time, Terrence Hill only manages the menace in the close-ups, and when wearing the large black overcoat in the distant shots.
Even then he has a propensity to let his glowing smile shine through the glower, infrequently, which can also give Django more of a personable appeal in this film compared to the tortured-soul effect that Nero had going for him in the original.
Now some people prefer this film to the 1966 outing, but I can't say for certain that this is better. It certainly has more layers going for it than the original due to the various characters having their own motivations, and that makes it a lot more unpredictable. The characters aren't just 2D cardboard cutouts, and that gives them a much more grounded flavor than what you might be expecting from a western.
There are occasional shootouts to sate the action-hungry viewer, but they aren't particularly as memorable as the ones from the original Django, which might disappoint some viewers.
Also, while Hill can some impressive displays of fisticuffs, his stringy physique doesn't quite make him as imposing as Nero, and in turn he comes across as a much more vulnerable Django than Nero's turn as the character.
However, where the acting counts Terrence Hill actually delivers. He does a very fine job of imitating Nero to the best of his abilities, and that alone definitely deserves a huge hat tip. It's not often someone is able to embody the role made famous by someone else and then turn in a performance that very closely resembles the original, while still managing to add their own spin on it (and managing a verisimilitude without the performance being satirical or farcical).
It's a hard balancing act to pull off, but I think Hill did a wonderful job with what he had to work with. It's a steep departure from his physical-comedy work that he became renown for with Bud Spencer, but well worth the watch for those who enjoyed the original Django that starred the devilishly handsome Franco Nero.